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Published: September 5th 2010
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So Vang Vieng was a pretty chill city. While it is true that many backpackers talk bad about Vang Vieng, mostly because they don't know how to relax and have a good time, I found it to be quite refreshing. We have spent most of out trip in the middle of nowhere, eating mystery meats, and trying not to order a spoon when all we want is something to drink. Sometimes you just need to wind up in a place where the food is cheap (recognizable food that is). nice accommodation is even cheaper, and there is a party everyday.
The drive from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng was pretty easy. We would have made it in one day from Luang Prabang, but Chuck hit a patch of oil and went for a slide on his motorcycle. Luckily he was not hurt, not even a scratch somehow. Unfortunately not long after that his chain broke and we had to wait around for a large taxi (otherwise known as a small truck) to drive by and throw the bike on the back. We wound up staying the night in Kasi as it was getting dark by the time everything
Exploring
its always fun stopping to take photos on a bridge was taken care of. Kasi is just another place in the middle of nowhere and the only people who stay here are ones who were stuck for some reason or another. There is nothing around it and no good accomodation in it. We were given a room with multiple people's hair on the bed sheet. We asked for new sheets.
We did have a really good barbeque there. It was only $3 each for all you could eat meat and vegetables. Basically the same meal, which was not all you could eat, that we had in Vietnam for the unknown ridiculous price of $16.
We left pretty early the next morning and were in Vang Vieng by 12pm. We all split a really nice bungalow for $12. Then it was time to explore. We had a quick bite to eat at a fantastic little place where you could order a joint on the menu. After that we went looking for a cave we read about. It was a nice drive down a dirt road and then we drove across a couple of streams on the bikes. After a while we parked along the edge of the
Mountain View
Always a nice view from the road river and started walking. An old guy found us and started walking with us as our guide. He had flashlights in his hand and since we were heading to a cave and none of us had thought to bring a flashlight, we decided to follow him. All of sudden he turned off the path and walked right into the jungle.
Ok, I guess. It looks like there is a little trail there. Kind of....
We follow him through and come out on the other side by a shallow part in the stream. We wade across it and into a small grove of wild rambutan trees. Behind the trees is a thin, scary looking entrance to the cave. It is more like a crack in the mountain than a normal round cave entrance. It is a pretty spooky cave. We are in the middle of nowhere with some random guide and wandering through a small, wet cave with a lot of slippery mud and pitfalls. We head in the cave fr a little while before we come to the Buddah. I don't know what it is about Laos, but they love to put Buddahs in caves here.
Tubing Cave
That is the entrance. Take about claustrophobic. You have to push your tube into the water to get inside Personally I am tired of having to go into the caves for the Buddahs. Can't they just put them at the top of a mountain or something like most countries in SEA? Little did I know that the next time I was destined to be in a cave would be a much worse than this experience.
After the venture into the cave, we all kept walking up the trail trying to find the head of the stream or a waterfall. We kept climbing and the rocks just kept going so as the skies just begin to darken we decided to head back. We always have to remember that my bike has no head light and if we stay somewhere too late then it will be a blind drive home. As we were about to start the descent swarms of bats came flying out the caves and up the valley. I have never seen this many bats. They just kept coming and coming. There were thousands of them. We tried to get it on film, but not really sure how they will come out.
The following day we went on a kayaking, trekking, and tubing tour with
Roadside Nap
Getting comfortable on the bike a guide company. We started the day with a quick kayaking lesson before paddling across the river for a small hike to an underground spring that was appearently where we were going to go tubing. In the photos it looked like tubing through some large cavern with lots of space around you. It was not quite like that. Since it is the rainy season the water is high, so there is really barely enoough space for you and your tube to fit in it. We had to wear our kayaking helmets, and it is a good thing we did because I must have hit my head at least three times. They strap a light to your helmet and have you follow a guide who swims in the water while you pull yourself upstream along a rope attached to the wall. After a while you get to a point where there is a small shore, so to speak, and leave your tubes there. Then you have to snake crawl on your belly through a tiny crevice farther into the cave. Needless to say at this point I was scared shitless. All I can say is I HATE FUCKING CAVES!!! I cant
Driving View
Laos is a great country to drive through understand why anybody would want to crawl through small, tight, dark, damp places like these. After a bit of snake crawling the cave opens a bit again as you wade chest deep into pitch black water. After a bit more wading the the water gets shallower and shallower until you have to crawl in a sitting position through a longer small crevace. This time there is water flowing against you so you can't crawl normal or you will have water in your face and the celining is only 2 to 3 feet tall. We finally get to the end of the cave tour and I happily get on my tube and flow down stream out as quick as I possibly can without knocking my head on the ceiling.
The kayaking was fun. It was a pretty easy river and could barely be called rapids, but it was still a nice day out in the sun with a bit of exercise. Along the way down we stopped at the unfamous Vang Vieng river bars. Basically a short strip on riverfront bars with loud music, rope swings, large water, slides, and many other manner of entertainment. This was to be
our destination for tomorrow when we planned to go tubing down the same river and staop at all the bars and swing, slide, and zip into the water in every way possible.
I would go into more detail about what happened tubing day, but what happens tubing in Vang Vieng, stays on the river. So I will have to end the story for you all here.
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mommy gail
non-member comment
once again ....don't do it kids!! too late
I laughed my butt off reading this story and that is one very brave girl.....I can't believe what you are both doing...you too Chuck! Well all I can say is stay safe all of you...yeah right Love mom